This powerful novella is a classic of both existentialist and spiritual literature. One day Ivan Ilyich (the Russian name for "John Doe"), a moderately successful lawyer and minor judge, learns that due to a small injury, he is quickly dying. He has never thought about this possibility, and it tears away all the structure of his life and the values and assumptions which have supported him. This is why the existentialists revere this novel: It shows man stripped of all certainties, helpless and alone in a world he can't know. But Tolstoy doesn't stop there. He knows that this forlorn state is exactly the precondition for seeing deeply, and he shows how Ivan Ilyich, through the devotion and faith of his peasant servant, finds his way to a renewed faith in his fellow people, and to a vision in which death is superseded by spiritual awakening. Because Tolstoy has presented the shock of Ivan's sudden despair so vividly, we find Ivan's victory over his despair all the more heartfelt and moving.
The greatest gift you can give to me and to all is to remember who you are, BE who you are, and assist others to BE the same. That is the most beautiful gift of love you can honour me with. My life is lived in the inspired passion of creating through music, prose, & words of wisdom, then to give such creations to all. The purpose of which is to touch lives in beautiful ways and to help them to R.E.S.T. or to Remember,Embrace, and Soulfully Treasure the Love and Light you are and we all are. These channelings and use of my gifts represent a life dedicated to expressing thoughts, images, & feelings that connect us all as we are all One. Such gifts are freely given. If you desire to in turn bring gift of gratitude for such a gift bestowed upon you, I will be humbly honoured and grateful for your having touched my life in return. If you so choose, you can provide a love offering in exchange
Clairvoyance, where you see images, objects, people and scenes presented to you in your mind's eye. For this it's best to build up a bank of symbols (archetypes) for spirits to present to you that represent certain meanings to you. Your mind is an open book to the spirit world as long as you allow it. Your personal language of symbols and their meanings is accessible to them. As an example, if you decide that a horse represents freedom to you, if spirit shows you a horse then the topic is going along the lines of the client needing more freedom or gaining more freedom. Other accompanying symbols should clarify this.
The article about this phenomenon in Encyclopædia Britannica places emphasis that "… one by one spiritual mediums were convicted of fraud, sometimes using the tricks borrowed from scenic "magicians" to convince their paranormal abilities". In the article it is also noted that "… the opening of the wide ranging fraud happening on spiritualistic sessions caused serious damage to reputation of the movement of a Spiritualism and in the USA pushed it on the public periphery".[205]
Associated with the element of fire, the suit of wands represents passion, inspiration and willpower. The wands imbue their users with primal energy, for it is through them that the cycle of creation can begin. Because of their ability to bring energy into any situation, they are also associated with action, ambition and making plans. At their worst, they can refer to situations that are filled with recklessness and lack of direction. As you follow the journey within the wands, you'll come across these themes again and again.
Now that you have grounded yourself, please select the cards we will use for your Tarot card reading. Remember, I shuffle my deck and draw new cards for the Tarot spreads every day, and these cards represent each one as it was laid out in front of me. Please take a moment to pause between drawing your cards, and when you are done selecting your cards for your Tarot reading you will be whisked away to a detailed interpretation of each card and what it means in its position in the Celtic Cross Spread.